Tewksbury Line of March Marker 7

"TEWKSBURY - April 10, 2015 - After three years of work, the Tewksbury Historical Society is installing nine monuments along its historical walking trail to honor those who fought in the Revolutionary War. The granite memorial posts will begin at the town center and continue 2.3 miles to the Billerica line. The path represents the route 97 men took from Tewksbury to fight in the Battle of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. The Line-Of-March Dedication Ceremony will be at the Town Common next Sunday at 1:30 p.m. It will feature a re-enactment of what happened 241 years ago when the town's minutemen and militia fought for independence. During the ceremony, the 1st Southeast Militia Company, 2nd Southeast Militia Company and the West Minutemen Company will all be honored. In 1775, Tewksbury militia-men fired their guns to warn that "The Regulars are out to Concord." Capt. John Trull of Tewksbury led the minutemen up East Street to Lee Street, then Chandler Street to the battle against the British. A number of the militia were French and Indian War veterans, versed in the tactics of guerrilla warfare. The Tewksbury minutemen won the battle by 8 p.m. that night. Forty-nine soldiers were killed, 40 were wounded and five were missing in action. On the British side, 73 soldiers were killed, 174 wounded and 26 missing in action. "It's historical, it's honoring the culture and it's recognizing the people," said David Marcus, president of the Tewksbury Historical Society. "This is like the Tewksbury Freedom Trail." Directing a patriotic play for 15 years as a teacher for the Tewksbury Public Schools shows only a fraction of Marcus' passion for the town's history."